Paycheck Calculator

A salary is a gross number; what you can budget is what's left after taxes. This lesson separates gross from take-home, breaks a paycheck into federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare, and clears up the single most common tax misconception — that your top bracket is the rate you pay on everything. Drag a salary and watch the split.

Free and interactive — no sign-up, nothing to install. Read the full lesson for the plain-language explanation.